Robbin Laird
Stories by Robbin Laird
“The Russian threat to Ukrainian sovereignty is simply not about Ukraine,” writes author Robbin Laird. “It is about the stability of the current European order.”
By Robbin Laird
As the Biden administration focuses on ways to improve deterrence in the Pacific, reenforcing Australia’s defense against China is a good place to start. Working closely with Australia now can send an important message to Beijing that political intimidation, backed by economic and military threats, is not in its long-term interest. For those not…
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake
SOMEWHERE OFF THE EAST COAST: When our aging C-2 Greyhound aircraft took off from the USS Gerald R. Ford the experience was clearly different. Propelled by the electro-magnetic system that has replaced steam catapults it was much smoother and much quicker. The new launch and landing systems provide key tools for a significant reshaping of the…
By Robbin Laird
The Navy’s Osprey differs from the Marine Corps and Air Force versions, boasting an enhanced fuel capacity, which required wing modifications to deal with the greater weight.
By Robbin Laird
As a boy growing up in the 1950s, I looked forward every year to the new cars and how different they would be from last year’s models. Obviously, I am not doing that in 2019, because the combination of what the frame of the car can deliver aerodynamically interacts with software and advanced materials to…
By Robbin Laird
When I visited Turkey last year, it was clear that President Erdogan was on a path to break with the traditions of Ataturk and the secular state. In a period when the global impact of the various strands of Islam are having significant global impact, the President of Turkey has focused on emphasizing Turkey’s Islamic…
By Robbin Laird
I have been travelling to Australia and working with the Williams Foundation in Canberra for five years. What I have found most fascinating about my time there and the journey of discovery of the RAAF is how they have fully embraced the F-35 and reshaping the eco system for the 21st century air combat force they…
By Robbin Laird
The Cold War has not returned, but the Russians have. The challenge for the Trump Administration is less about whether the US cares about European defense; it is much more about a strategic shift of American attention to dealing with the Chinese and North Korean threats.
By Robbin Laird
Whatever you think of Jim Mattis, his resignation and the outflow of officials that will follow create a major foreign policy problem for the United States. There is not one ally who is applauding Mattis’s departure — but depart he will, all the same. So what must President Trump and his next defense secretary do,…
By Robbin Laird
The future of the RAF is on display at the Farnborough Air Show. With the F-35, the RAF is part of the multi-domain airpower transformation and will work closely with European allies, notably in reshaping Northern Tier Defense. With the Typhoon, the RAF is seeking a modernized aircraft reworked to compliment the F-35 but with a yet undetermined relationship with its European partners. And the A330MRTT and A400M aircraft, as well as MBDA missiles, are part of a broader context of resolving Brexit.
By Robbin Laird
Presidents Putin and Trump will meet soon in Helsinki. At a time of uncertainty in the US-Russia relationship, the meeting is an important step forward in clarifying that relationship, one that should be not reduced to a Trump tweet or a Putin chess move. Where it is being held is significant. Helsinki was part of the…
By Robbin Laird
“The Russian threat to Ukrainian sovereignty is simply not about Ukraine,” writes author Robbin Laird. “It is about the stability of the current European order.”
By Robbin LairdAs the Biden administration focuses on ways to improve deterrence in the Pacific, reenforcing Australia’s defense against China is a good place to start. Working closely with Australia now can send an important message to Beijing that political intimidation, backed by economic and military threats, is not in its long-term interest. For those not…
By Robbin Laird and Ed TimperlakeSOMEWHERE OFF THE EAST COAST: When our aging C-2 Greyhound aircraft took off from the USS Gerald R. Ford the experience was clearly different. Propelled by the electro-magnetic system that has replaced steam catapults it was much smoother and much quicker. The new launch and landing systems provide key tools for a significant reshaping of the…
By Robbin LairdThe Navy’s Osprey differs from the Marine Corps and Air Force versions, boasting an enhanced fuel capacity, which required wing modifications to deal with the greater weight.
By Robbin LairdAs a boy growing up in the 1950s, I looked forward every year to the new cars and how different they would be from last year’s models. Obviously, I am not doing that in 2019, because the combination of what the frame of the car can deliver aerodynamically interacts with software and advanced materials to…
By Robbin LairdWhen I visited Turkey last year, it was clear that President Erdogan was on a path to break with the traditions of Ataturk and the secular state. In a period when the global impact of the various strands of Islam are having significant global impact, the President of Turkey has focused on emphasizing Turkey’s Islamic…
By Robbin LairdI have been travelling to Australia and working with the Williams Foundation in Canberra for five years. What I have found most fascinating about my time there and the journey of discovery of the RAAF is how they have fully embraced the F-35 and reshaping the eco system for the 21st century air combat force they…
By Robbin LairdThe Cold War has not returned, but the Russians have. The challenge for the Trump Administration is less about whether the US cares about European defense; it is much more about a strategic shift of American attention to dealing with the Chinese and North Korean threats.
By Robbin LairdWhatever you think of Jim Mattis, his resignation and the outflow of officials that will follow create a major foreign policy problem for the United States. There is not one ally who is applauding Mattis’s departure — but depart he will, all the same. So what must President Trump and his next defense secretary do,…
By Robbin LairdThe future of the RAF is on display at the Farnborough Air Show. With the F-35, the RAF is part of the multi-domain airpower transformation and will work closely with European allies, notably in reshaping Northern Tier Defense. With the Typhoon, the RAF is seeking a modernized aircraft reworked to compliment the F-35 but with a yet undetermined relationship with its European partners. And the A330MRTT and A400M aircraft, as well as MBDA missiles, are part of a broader context of resolving Brexit.
By Robbin LairdPresidents Putin and Trump will meet soon in Helsinki. At a time of uncertainty in the US-Russia relationship, the meeting is an important step forward in clarifying that relationship, one that should be not reduced to a Trump tweet or a Putin chess move. Where it is being held is significant. Helsinki was part of the…
By Robbin Laird
“I think long-range strike is about trying to keep stability in a crisis situation. And if you’re going to use it as a deterrence,” former Air Marshal Geoff Brown says. “It’s got to be responsive, it’s got to be potent, but you’ve also got to be able to signal that you can use it.”
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake